Thanks djwarner, I remembered changing the bulbs in all the side marker lights, before I started blowing the fuse. All is good now, finally.

Glad you are back on the road after curfew.

This happened  me a  couple years ago.  I finally figured out that the socket for the glove box bulb was corroded and it probably raised the current on that circuit until the fused burned.  there was even some occasional (rare) smoke smell from the socket.  

 

I cleaned it up with some deOxit, and there have been no problems since.

SteveJ , I have performed the steps you described and am at step 8, Short only appears when light switch is on, Also do not have low beams, what do you suggest next

3 hours ago, oldcarlover said:

SteveJ , I have performed the steps you described and am at step 8, Short only appears when light switch is on, Also do not have low beams, what do you suggest next

Examine your wiring harness in the dash. Look for "modifications" made by yourself or previous owners.

I will look at harder, appears only radio has had mods at anytime. After plugging and unplugging connectors my low beams work. I see in FSM that head lights are in circuit with park, will pull cans and check connections

I also pulled and cleaned combination switch, nothing appears corroded, loose or broken. Also did ground test at combination connector, GL to GW and it shows grounded past switch, do I assume switch is good, in advance thanks for the help, I have worked on many old vehicles, this is first Z . It is my sons and I am trying to get street legal for my son when he returns from Marines. This was a project of his before he signed up.

I found a short in C3 however, it persists despite the body and console harnesses being disconnected. Suggestions?

1 hour ago, Oblithian said:

I found a short in C3 however, it persists despite the body and console harnesses being disconnected. Suggestions?

It's a whole process. You need to detail all of your results. 

I just thought someone might know off-hand what other things (aside from the tail and center console lights) run off the switched circuit through C3. But, I will just run through what remains.

So after much trial, it appears there is a short between GW and R  somewhere between C1 and the speedometer connector. A bridge midway seems unlikely, but so does a connector short... though they are side by side at the speedometer. I will clean it up and see if that affects anything.

Edited April 20, 20177 yr by Oblithian
New details andmost recent commenter

On 3/24/2015 at 11:18 AM, oldfart76280z said:

Well I finally got tired of not being able to drive my z at night and solved my problem with blowing the fuse that run dash,tail and side marker lights.

The positive plug on the passenger rear side marker light was missing the plug insulation on the positive wire and was touching the metal. So I put heat shrink tube on it, put it back together and put in the fuse. Now all my lights

wwork again. Thanks for all the idea's on how to figure it out.

Im having this same problem. My car has dave irwin parking light upgrade harness which keeps blowing the 15 amp fuse foun inside the fuse holder of the circuit. Should i take the harness out from the equation to eliminate the combo switch could be faulty or should i check all the parking bulbs first?

 

Mine was either a unused wire shorting  on the frame (compliments of the previous owner's stereo swap)....
OR it was fixed after I went through and sprayed/cleaned every bulb socket and (adjacent connector) for the side marker lamps/indicators.

I haven't had the issue again, but I do know all of that searching/testing the harnesses wasted my time haha.